Under the shade of Scholars: My Dawah tour to Kerala

When I was returning back home after the lectures of Madani scholars including Dr. R. K. Noor and Shaykh Arshad Basheer Madani in Hubli, I received a phone-call from the ‘Global Head’ of Team AskislampediA, Br. Mansoor. I was glad to know that he wanted me to join their Dawah trip to Kerala. I wondered and didn’t even give a second thought in accepting his invitation. Alhamdulillah… then I started thinking, for this Shaykh I left Bangalore and chose Hyderabad as my city of Post-Graduation studies, the shaykh for whom I had prepared a list of questions to be answered, the shaykh under whom I dreamt to get educated. Now I am getting a chance to be with him. Not only to hear his lectures but also to be with him in his meetings, his whereabouts and most importantly getting trained of the minor errors we do in our day to day life.

I knew the nature of the shaykh as I had already spent some time with him in his own house in Hyderabad. The most humble shaykh my friend asserted, and I discerned him as one of the jolliest nature. I forgot all my worries throughout the journey in presence of Shaykh (As I had seen qualms in my parents’ eyes. They wanted to plan for some other journey with me.) He sees to it that we are the happiest people in his presence.

I met Shaykh again in Bangalore in my friend Br. Ahmed’s house. The shaykh and Br. Mansoor were invited for lunch. The delicious lunch was prepared by Ahmed’s mother with a variety of dishes. I had to stay the whole day in his house and we (I and Br. Ahmed) left at night for Calicut. (May Allah give the rewards to Br. Ahmed and his family for the warm welcome with the delicious lunch.)

When we reached Kerala, we came to know about a huge organization“I.S.M.” (organizer of our Program) which has 600 units. It is the 'youth wing' of parent organization "K.N.M." The organization has various schools and colleges running under the affiliation of the University of Calicut. They have 15000 Arabic teachers to teach Arabic. Br. Yahya gave the introduction to the organization in brief which went on to the second day and continued - it was a brief introduction! He was very fluent in Arabic as well as English. We could not recognize by looking at him that he can speak so fluent Arabic, then we got to know that majority of the people speak Arabic in their organization while the others understand the message in their Butler-Arabic.

Before, I had a different opinion of Keralite people, that they are rigid and speak their mother-tongue only and don’t care for the people in the north. But I witnessed exactly the opposite. They were the most humble people I met in my life. Even I had a friend of mine from Kerala in Belgaum and also in Hyderabad… Both are remarkable, yet I had an opinion against their people. Alhamdulillah…The truth prevails!

The Shaykh enlightened the history of Kerala and said it is “Khairullah” (Goodness from Allah), as one of the Companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Malik bin Dinar, came there and preached the message of Islam… At the time of the companions Islam reached India and it was the companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who brought Islam to this country.

After the lecture of Shaykh Arshad Basher Madani, when the team of AskislampediA was on the stage, there were calls to the organizers from Saudi Arabia - as it was a live telecast on Social Networking sites – about the team dressed up in professional attire. “That’s the spirit of young and dynamic Daees” Br. Mansoor averred.

Br Mansoor, as told before, the Global Head of AskislampediA, a young and dynamic daee and a powerful speaker I have ever seen. He is one of the gems that Andhra Pradesh has produced and Hyderabad has ever seen. He not only excels in Dawah but also a corporate trainer of Islamic Dawah and a pleasant personality as a whole. One should NOT miss the chance of meeting him!

Our Dawah Program didn’t end here… The Next day, we had planned to visit various places in Kerala. The hilly areas covered with coconut trees beautified the cities. The Arabian Sea added another feather in embellishing the land. All the team of AskislampediA was at bliss seeing the creation of God Almighty – Allah and Brother Rihas (a.k.a.Riyaaz) didn’t miss his duty of guiding us like a guide of Kerala. Alhamdulillah!

We visited the huge campus of Farook School wherein it had huge prettified mosque, library, and auditorium apart from well organized gargantuan class rooms. Later we had to go to Sullamussalam Science College and then Arabic College. The attire which we were exhibiting helped a lot in conveying the message in the most professional manner. We all were disciplined and the people were glad to receive us - the Principal, teachers and Management– Alhamdulillah. “I was astonished to see the team dressed up in professional attire and rushed to the office to know the message you have brought.” One of them proclaimed.

“If you strive in the way of Allah, He will open the pathways for you” (AQ, 29:69)

The blessings of Dawah do not end here. We also had various delightful Keralite foods and were welcome with warm water before the food was served. From fish to various other local dishes - very hard to remember the names of all. This is how Allah blesses those who strive in His way.

This is all that I could pen down in brief from my memory what our dawah trip was about. I know there are lots of things I am missing. But the greatest thing of my life is what I learnt in the company of Shaykh Arshad Basheer Madani and not to forget Br. Mansoor too.